


We shall not slither and wither away

by Sarasti



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: (fairly light but it's there), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Fix-It, Gen, I reject your canon and substitute my own, M/M, cosmic horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 08:32:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30086319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarasti/pseuds/Sarasti
Summary: Somewhere else, where the curse of the titans and the truth of the world is different, a wooden caravel is making its way down the Marleyan coast.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager
Comments: 8
Kudos: 27





	We shall not slither and wither away

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is essentially just me trying to passive-aggressively “fix” a lot of the problems I have with Attack on Titan’s worldbuilding and central metaphor from the basement onwards, hahah. Take it or leave it I guess... It's exposition-heavy but hopefully still interesting to read. Also Eren and Armin are a couple because why not. I based it partially on current canon and partially on my memories of what I thought the nature of the world was before I stopped reading the manga back in 2014 (I still prefer my version in some ways, heheh).
> 
> Title is from the song “Ice House” by The Creatures. Enjoy.

_**Somewhere on the coast of the Marleyan Triple Alliance, opposite the island of Paradis, 854** _

The morning light crept through the porthole, waking Armin. The round porthole was small and grimy, but it was better than having nothing. The sea to the east glittered under the morning sun. The small cabin he shared with Eren on the caravel was spare – a double bed containing the two of them, a closet, and a nightstand with some books and a clock on it. Still, it was theirs and theirs alone. Armin was the first to wake up, as always. He sat up, stretching and yawning. The clock showed 6 AM. 30 minutes ‘til breakfast. According to Hange’s calculations, they would reach the rendezvous-point around this time tomorrow. This marked the dawn of the last day they could play pretend at being like everybody else. The last before the weight of the world would truly be put on their shoulders. He was going to do his best to savor it. He looked at the still-sleeping Eren. His hair had grown quite long by now. He had said he wanted to change it, wanted to mark a clear difference between how he was before he learned the truth of the world and after. He was once a tempestuous boy who wanted nothing but to escape the pen in which he was kept. Now he had escaped the pen, so his exterior should change to match his interior. Armin had cut his own hair into an undercut, for similar reasons. Now that they could enjoy what little there was to enjoy in the world outside, he didn’t want the hassle that came with maintaining his long hair. His previous long bangs were the result of his grandfather’s cutting, and he wanted to close the book on that part of his life. He would always remember him, still, but it was time to move on. Funny how he and Eren had switched. Others sometimes joked about it, but the jokes had quickly grown stale.

Armin sat there rubbing his eyes, gradually waking up. Not sure how he would pass the half hour between now and breakfast in the mess hall. Maybe he could read something. He picked up a book from his nightstand – something by a nature writer who had travelled extensively within the walls to catalog its plant- and animal life. He carefully paged through it in order to not make too much noise. He still felt Eren stirring beside him – he seemed to be waking up. Stirred by Armin’s movements or the sunlight or whatever else. He sat up against the bedhead, looking at Armin. His hair was long and messy, not having been brushed yet.

“Good morning, Armin.” He leaned in to give him a kiss on his forehead. Armin put down the book on his lap.

“Good morning. I’m sorry, did I wake you up...”

“No, it was the light or something. It doesn’t matter anyway.”

“I’ll take your word for it...” He paused, searching for the next thing to say.

“Hey Eren.”

“Hm?”

“Let’s just lie in bed until breakfast. Not get dressed or anything. I don’t want to get up yet. Let’s just sit here, for a while...”

The nights had gotten increasingly cold with the arrival of autumn. The boat hadn’t been finished on time, and they had set out in all haste once it was done. The cold had forced them to wear pyjamas, even though they preferred to sleep naked or in their underwear since they had become a couple. Didn’t want their touches filtered through fabric, especially not during the few parts of day that indisputably belonged only to them.

“Yeah, I get what you mean...”

“Come here” Eren said, as he crawled up against the headboard, his knees drawn up. Armin obliged and sat between them. Eren put his head onto Armin’s shoulder and they sat like that, not saying much, looking out the window at the shimmering body of water outside. It steadily glowed brighter as the sun inched its way up into the sky.

* * *

Armin didn’t know what he had expected to find in his dear friend’s basement. He had hoped it would mark the end of it all, or at least the beginning of the end. That they could finally know peace after walking down those stairs. Maybe there would be a weapon down there, or a map to it. Something that could free them all from a life constantly hemmed in, limited, by the titans. He had put it out of his mind for the most part – there was so much else to do, and they would get there eventually – but he couldn’t help himself from turning the thought of it over in his mind during the empty moments of the day, like while waiting for a meeting by the higher-ups to finish. He had asked Eren once about what he thought was down there, and in his usual fashion replied that it didn’t matter yet, not until they got there. Whatever his expectations had been though, he had certainly hoped it would be better than _this_.

There was no endless expanse of empty land to explore, no salvation from the threat of the things with no purpose but to eat them. Out of all the people in this big world, they could undoubtedly call themselves the luckiest. They were living on an island, temperate in climate, fertile of soil, rich in natural resources. Clearing it of titans would take time, but at least it could be done.

The rest of the world wasn’t so lucky. It consisted of massive continents – every single one overrun with the damn things. This was what humanity had been reduced to: A tiny island, blissfully unaware, and some scattered settlements, mainly lining the coasts where defense against - and escape from - them was easier. The outside world that he had so longed to see offered no relief, no respite from the same old thing he had been forced to live with inside the walls.

Grisha had come from outside, trying to set things right. That was the peaceful attempt. He had stolen the Attack and Founding Titans, but never figured out how to use the Founder. The limitations the royal family had put on it were too strong, and he couldn’t make his way back to make contact with his comrades. His notes mentioned that he had ceased to trust them with the immense power the Founder represented. Trapped and alone, he had passed the titans on to his son, who he thought might live long enough to reach the understanding he could not.

The Eldian Empire, long may its name be dragged through the dirt, had been experimenting with turning citizens of enemy nations into titans _en masse_. Not only would they be incapacitated, they would get turned into weapons to wage further war. They had already made use of the power of the Nine in war, but this would make things even easier. No longer would they have to risk their precious holders on the front lines – the Warhammer had already been lost forever, dead in a mountain pass, ambushed by the Marleyans. They would have backup, and their empire would further spread across the map, further lining the streets of their capital with gold, sweet flowers, gems and spices. They already ruled most of their continent through the Titans’ power, but saw no reason for it to stop there. They declared war on Marley – their closest neighbor and previous ally – and set to work. They had already turned prisoners of war into mindless titans through the use of the Founder and attacked enemy strongholds, but something on this scale was completely new.

Details were scarce, but it undoubtedly succeeded beyond even the wildest fever dreams of the Emperor. The Titan Plague spread throughout Marley, and once it had wiped out most of its inhabitants, the titans spread to other lands. Their primitive weapons couldn’t stand a chance, and soon reports came in of entire cities of marble crumbling into dust. The Eldians, ashamed of what they had done and realizing that they had no chance of repairing their mistakes, retreated to the island of Paradis and wiped everyone’s memories, deciding to turn the page on their blood-stained past. The plan was to create a completely self-sustaining society within the walls, since the titans would soon make their way to the island. The Founding Titan was put under heavy restrictions and kept within the royal family. The survivors on the mainland, though, remembered, and after gathering their strengths in walled cities of their own, started to plan to retake the Founder to set right what had once gone so very, very wrong.

* * *

Breakfast meant briefings. Commander Hange preferred to make things efficient. The porridge was grey and flavorless as always, but it filled you up pretty well.

“Today marks the last day before we approach the Marleyans at the rendezvous-point we agreed on. We will expect all of you to perform at the peak of your abilities. Eren, Armin, you two are our greatest assets. It is absolutely _imperative_ that you stick to the plan and do not let yourselves get caught or restrained under any circumstances. They agreed to our terms and appear to have honest intentions, but we cannot afford to let our guard down. Tomorrow will mark a new age for humanity – we will either unite to remove the threat of the titans forever and overcome our cursed past, or we will continue to squabble like angry hens.”

The commander looked tired as they said this. Everyone knew that they had never wished to become commander, but they had accepted their duty without complaint. Not open complaint, anyway. Eren had accidentally overheard them discussing their position with Levi once, while passing by their office under deck one day. They mentioned how much they wished that Erwin was there, to guide them all through the uncertain future. He hadn’t said anything about that conversation to Armin.

“Today will be spent doing routine maintenance on the ship, and going through our preparations for tomorrow. I will be here to answer any questions you might have.”

Mikasa looked softly at the two of them. She was as silent as ever, but Armin often wondered if she ever regretted hitching her wagon to two of the most at-risk, in-demand people in the world. Maybe she'd be happier if they had been like so many others - content with their lot, staying put in the comfort within the walls.

Too late for that, too late for so many things.

* * *

**From the journal of Grisha Yeager, page 71**

… _it can be surmised from the material that I have gathered - the Eldian nobles of old dug too deep. When I broke into the royal archives, I found a book containing woodcut illustrations showing a story from the earliest days of the Empire. Short pieces of text describe what the images depict, but don’t elaborate much. One of them portrayed a family of minor aristocrats, inspecting a far-flung piece of newly conquered territory where a pale and gaunt people lived in caves. The next shows one of the nobles – a fair-haired young maiden – descending into one of these caves, finding murals depicting large humanoids walking the Earth, building bridges and attacking walled cities. The one after that shows a deep well, but it is the only one with no text underneath it…_

* * *

The Survey Corps were lucky that boats were used to transport passengers and goods within the walls. That way, there were at least artisans who had some form of practice. They found blueprints and diagrams of seafaring vessels – most likely the ones that had brought them to the island in the first place – in the archives of the royal family. Actually constructing it according to specifications would take years, even with the entire gathered economy of the island behind them, and they were sitting ducks in the meantime. They were lucky to have the Attack and Colossus titans on their side in case any invaders arrived, at any rate. Eren and Armin couldn’t explore a titan-free Paradis as they wanted, since they would always have to stand available for the military. At least their status as vital assets meant certain privileges, and they weren't separated from each other.

A makeshift hangar had been hastily put up on the coast, and the boat was being built there. Right where they first reached the ocean. The Survey Corps were mainly stationed there, but military outposts and watchtowers had been erected all over the coast. It was a somewhat futile effort, though. Not even as much as a Marleyan fishing boat was ever spotted. Most likely they were as desperate and low on resources as them.

The months leading up to the basement had been eventful almost beyond belief, but now time sprawled endlessly on, each day much like the other. Just waiting, waiting, but never being certain of anything. The lack of major events did have one benefit - it gave them the time to finally process what they had been through. Eren had realized something, up on that roof in Shiganshina, that he should have understood a long time ago.

They snuck out of the barracks under the cover of night to kiss on the beach. The waves, shimmering with pale light under the full moon, crashed into their feet.

* * *

The Survey corps first outing into the world outside the island carried the indisputable air of disappointment. It wasn’t any better off than the place they had left. The hope of a fresh and new world to be made of what they chose had been squandered. In fact, everything they were sailing through was the result of their ancestors' mistakes.

The boat made its way along a coast, sharp and sheer, where the mountains rose up not far behind the flatlands rolling down to sea. The mountains created a rain shadow – on the other side lay a vast steppe populated by titans, on this side, a verdant green coastline that was frequently pelted with rain. The forests climbed up the side of the mountains until the tree line rendered the rock bare. No wonder the remaining Marleyans had chosen to settle here – life was teeming all over it. After travelling through unpopulated territory for a day, signs of human habitation started to appear. The woods gave way to farms, their borders lined with crude defensive palisades. Erected more to slow the titans down and offer a chance of escape than anything else. Such an escape was occurring right when they were passing through. Two titans eating what looked like the population of a small village. The soldier escorting them was stabbing one of the titans’ legs to no avail. There was nothing for the brave Survey Corps to do. By the time they even reached the shore, it would be too late.

They passed a stone fortress, caught between a river and the sea, built on a hill, long since fallen into ruin. A titan was stuck in a tower – it must have crawled in and gotten stuck in the rubble. Its smiling face stared at them without so much as raising an eyebrow.

They sailed on, and eventually came to a small fishing town, low wooden houses surrounded by large hills on all sides. This one had a city wall built of stone, manned by guards in high towers. They docked in the harbor, and found that the people who called the town home spoke a language much like their own, albeit heavily dialectical. Communication was slow but very much possible. They lied and claimed to be from another community further down the coast, and bartered some of their food rations for books and other information. In the harbor, Armin spotted an old woman sitting on a crate some 10 meters away from them. She sat still, not doing anything but looking out at the ocean. Her shaggy grey hair reached her shoulders. Her face didn’t seem to change as she spotted the strange visitors. Maybe she was like all of them had once been. Looking out at the ocean, dreaming of a world free from titans.

* * *

**From the burnt and unread journal of Grisha Yeager, page 35**

… _it was when I climbed down into the cave to steal the Founder from the Royals that I saw it for the first time. Before I killed them all, I caught a glance of Frieda’s eyes… They seemed to be unlike the eyes of anyone else I had ever met before. A slight glow was there, illuminating them from behind. As if someone was holding a lantern behind her irises. It flickered in and out of sight, and was gone in a matter of mere seconds, but I saw it. I didn’t understand it then, but I think I do now that I sit down to write these words... I will pass this to my son, as the Interior Police is gaining on me. I cannot reach Marley in time, and I do not trust them to handle the Founder anyway. May he find the way forward that I could not…_

* * *

It’s been 100 years. 100 years since those _bastards_ fled with the tail between their legs to that awful island. They were the ones who ruined everything, and they were all too cowardly to even remember it. They made the world grind to a halt, they made sure nothing would ever be simple again. 80 years since the survivors of the Titan Plague gathered on the tattered shreds of the Marleyan coast band and built walls of their own. 60 years since the situation was stable enough to concern themselves with anything other than survival. 40 years since all remaining books detailing the Eldian Empire were brought back from the Marleyan capital. 30 years since the plan to steal the Founder was hatched, to finally put an end to the titans and undo the damage they did. Those royal fools still dreamt of retaking the world through use of the titans. They simply couldn’t let go of the source of all their haughtiness. They still hoped to one day use it to rid the world of them and reconquer it for themselves. That’s why they clung to it so desperately. They would rather that they all perish than ever let the Founder slip from their grasp. It was their last point of pride, the only thing they weren’t willing to give up.

They couldn’t be trusted with it. Best to take it out of the hands of the people who misused it in the first place.

21 years since Reiner and the others were born, chosen to infiltrate the island under the guise of helpless children. 3 years since he came back, the mission a failure, his closest friends gone or turned against him. There wasn’t enough military capacity to make another attempt on Paradis, and they would be highly wary of intruders by that point. He and Zeke had spent the last 4 years fighting titans in the Varimasi Archipelago, where an effort was being made to clear the islands and establish a new stronghold for humanity. What he would do if he saw those old comrades of his again, he didn’t know. Most likely they would just fight without exchanging as much as a single word.

Reiner stood on the deck of the boat and looked out over the islands. Their rolling hills would make a fine home. Maybe there, there would be a chance, however slim, for things to finally heal.

* * *

After officially becoming a couple, Eren made it a practice to tell Armin everything. Complete honesty. Every embarrassing fantasy, every off-the-cuff opinion, every doubt he has in himself and his ability to help anyone, accomplish anything. The dreams he kept having though – that’s something he keeps to himself. That is the one thing he didn’t tell anyone else anything about. He didn’t know what use they would have of it, anyway. He couldn’t quite put the effect they have on him into words, which is perhaps another reason he didn’t tell anyone about them. And frankly, he wasn't even sure if they were really dreams

A deep well, in a place with only a bare glimmer of light shining from outside. He fell, naked, helplessly down into the embrace of its cold water. In that deep and bottomless abyss, his hair billowed above him from the movements of the water. He could see down there, despite the fact that any reason would suggest that to be impossible. Giant creatures like the marine animals he saw in Armin’s book, colorless from the lack of light but nonetheless impressive in their form, swam deep below him, above and to the side of him. He felt no fear as they passed near him. He even touched the skin of one of them, feeling its cold scales underneath his fingers. He was having these dreams increasingly often now, especially since they reached the basement. Maybe they were why Grisha couldn’t bear it anymore, decided to pass everything on to his son rather than keep it himself. Eren was not his father, though. If nothing else, he was at least strong enough to bear this. Not that "bear" was the right word - in fact, he was finding it easier and easier, more and more pleasant, for every day that went by. Grisha hadn't burdened him with a monster. He had given him the most wonderful gift a person can give someone else.

* * *

The last day passed in the key of work and preparations, everyone going through the motions, both wanting the day to be over so they could finally get it all over with and dreading the surprises that tomorrow would bring.

When all was done, they retreated to their cabin, everyone going to bed early to prepare for the following day. On order of the commander, alcohol and other diversions were strictly banned, since they needed to be as fresh and prepared as possible. Nobody could control what they did in their own private quarters, though.

Time had smoothed off the sharp edges of his temper, but Eren still held within him a deep well of energy that had to be released at times. Even if he could be much more deliberate in how he used it, it was still there. He still wanted extremity, wanted to really _feel_ things so strongly he could burst, wanted to lose himself in the sheer rush of the moment. He was never made for the tedious comfort of the walls, and he felt no shame about it. They shared their restless urges, the wish for something other than just the monotony they had come from. That was the root of their bond, and the roots had made their way into many other areas of them.

Their first attempts had been clumsy, fumbling like the inexperienced teenagers they were, making the other come but not much else. That clumsiness had also been smoothed away over the years, and they both wanted nothing else than to forget what was lying ahead of them, right then and there. They had to be quiet every time they did it on the boat – the walls were far from soundproof. They had spent most of their relationship like that: Always having to sneak off, squeeze in some private time in between their duties, make it quick, don’t bother anyone. One good, selfish, reason to do what was right was also to, when it was all over, finally get the opportunity to do what they actually wanted with their time.

Eren licked the inside of Armin’s mouth, picked up his naked body and pressed it into the bed, laying his full weight on his back, pulling up his face with his right hand to kiss it and Armin wished that time could just stop at that moment, that they could stay like that forever instead of being burdened with so, so much more than they had ever asked for.

* * *

After finishing, they had laid in each other’s arms, Armin stroking Eren’s hair. They fell asleep shortly afterwards. 3 hours of restless dreams later, Eren woke up. Uneasy and worrisome, he decided to sneak up to the deck, leaving Armin behind so he wouldn’t be disturbed, didn’t want to force him to give him company at this late, pivotal hour.

Nighttime. A ribbon of stars shone in the sky above. The moon a thin crescent, but the lack of light was compensated by him being so familiar with the boat by now that he could almost make his way around it blind-folded. He leaned his arms on the railing, looking out over the sea. It was even darker than the sky. How he and Armin had struggled to even conceive of it when they were children. How extraordinary it had seemed when they had seen it for the first time, but it was increasingly turning into just another feature of the landscape. Even the ocean was not free from the wan light of acclimatization. Still, there were so many wonders left to see – the deserts, the never-ending forests, the rivers and the glaciers. The outside world was too big to be contained to merely one thing - it just went on and on. Maybe that’s just how it was – you always had to have some unfulfilled desire, some wish that you could strive for, unless living was to become an unending monotony of eat, work, sleep. Maybe the next goal was to dive deep into it to see what manner of creatures dwelt there.

The ocean had never bothered the titans. The Empire had made them crawl on its floor to attack coastal towns. They were still wet by the time they broke down the gates, making the streets run pink with salt water mixed with blood. The machinations of history had landed the power they used to make all of that happen straight into his lap. The age of the titans would end with him. One way or another, it would all finally, finally come to an end.

“You can’t sleep either?” That voice. Gentle but firm, he never needed to raise it in order to make an impression. Eren would recognize it anywhere. Armin was there on the deck, standing near the door.

“God… Did I wake you up? I’m sorry, you should get some rest for tomorrow.”

“No, it’s okay. I woke up on my own. I’ve read that people often have trouble sleeping the night before an anticipated event.” He walked up to the railing, leaning on it beside Eren.

“Are you sure you’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”

“I’m sure. And besides, I wouldn’t want you to stand up here all by yourself. We’re a team, right?”

“Right…”

They stood there for a moment, Armin displaying tell-tale signs of having something to say. Even in the darkness, Eren could read him. He didn’t blurt things out like Eren – he hesitated before speaking, weighing the impact his words would have. He seemed to be done thinking, and his voice was heard again.

“Eren, I’ve been thinking… About tomorrow. What will we do if the Marleyans don’t accept our terms? They want you, right? You’ll have to be kept under constant surveillance by us so they don’t kidnap you or something. No matter what, negotiations will be difficult, and figuring out how to use the Founder safely will take ages unless they have some secrets that they’re not telling us. But what if they won’t agree to cooperate and just want to steal you for themselves? Do we have any back-up plan?”

“I transform and kill the bastards before they have a chance to do anything. If they show even a sign of trying anything, we ditch them and head back home.”

“Yeah, but… When we reach home, what then? I doubt the Marleyans will just give up their quest to retrieve the Founder. And even if the island is safe, I doubt our people will just accept the fact that the rest of the world is crawling with titans. There will be calls by them to try to use it to turn them back human, or even to use them as weapons like the Empire did… I doubt anyone would accept you just walking around as a normal person. You’d always be a military asset to them...”

“We’ll think of something. And spending the rest of my life figuring out how to use the Founder, trying to rid the world of the titans… That wouldn’t be so bad, honestly. I’ve wanted them to disappear since I was a kid.”

“It’s still a risky bet. I wouldn’t put it past people to try to capture you, despite all your strength…

Armin went silent again, seeming to steel himself for the next part.

“… Maybe the only solution is _not_ to do anything? Since the Founder was what caused all of this in the first place, can we really be so sure that it wouldn’t just make things worse…?”

Eren had suspected that Armin had been thinking along those lines before, but hadn’t brought it up yet. They would be forced to decide no matter what, and the Marleyans might know something that would change the available options.

“You have a point, I guess. But… I swore I’d eradicate them. I wanted nothing but to release the world, myself, from them. It would kill me if I found out that I missed my shot...”

“If you die, the Founder will just transfer back into that cave where the Eldian nobles found it, right? That’s the theory that me and commander Hange conceived after going through your father’s notes, anyway… So the best way to fix this might be to just… run away.”

“So we should just give up against them? Against the titans?”

“It’s not giving up, it’s just… Taking the slow path against them instead of the shortcut. We’ll just have to kill them the old-fashioned way with regular weapons. Maybe we should exercise more caution than our ancestors did...”

He had been afraid, on some level, that Eren would react poorly to his words. It wasn’t likely – he had given up his hatred of the titans long ago – but the possibility was always there. The fact that he didn’t encouraged Armin to continue.

“We could run away together, just you and me. Since we’re shifters, the titans shouldn’t be a problem as long as we’re cautious. Just find a safe beautiful place, live out our days in peace there… Or travel around to make sure that the Marleyans don’t find us. The only way out of this is just… To not fall into all the power-hunger, all the wishes for revenge and control. We could tell Mikasa and the others where we are, so they could come to visit. It wouldn’t be so bad, living like that…”

“We _could_ do that, I suppose. But, if there is a chance… I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to solve things. If I could lay down my life for it, I would...”

“Well, _I_ don’t want you to die for the sake of humanity! I don’t want you to throw yourself away on some risky bet. I want you here, with me. We promised we’d explore the world together, not to wear ourselves down fighting some useless war...”

Eren smiled slightly. No matter what, they would have to make a choice. But that was later. For now, they could just indulge themselves.

“Yeah, we could run off together… I’d pick you up in my big titan hand and run far away from here. Down the coastline. We’d build a cabin by the sea somewhere so the others could come to visit.”

“Hm! _You’ll_ pick _me_ up? My titan is much bigger than yours. I’ll pick your _titan_ up in my hand.”

“Hahah, I’m still not used to you having the Colossus… Yours might be bigger, but mine is quicker. Going anywhere with that thing would take ages.” He smiled at the innuendo, but Armin didn’t react.

“Fine, we’ll take turns then. We don’t have to stay in one place either. We could see all of those things we talked about when we were kids. The deep forests and the mighty rivers. We might not have to avoid the towns either – there might be people who don’t know about the Founder out there, who won’t want to use us for their purposes.”

“Yeah, we’ll travel around. We’ll always go see what’s over the next hill. We’ll be free from all our burdens and only think about what we want to do. For no one but ourselves.”

“Yeah. That sounds great…”

Armin seemed to get something in his eye then. He rested his head on his right hand.

“And when we die, the Founder that binds the titans to this world will disappear. It will all start to fade away. The mindless ones will go first. They will topple over in the forests and in the fields. Thorns will grow underneath their skeletons. Then, the wall titans will start to crumble. They’ll have to evacuate the districts close to the walls so people don’t get crushed by the debris. Those walls you always hated won’t be there anymore. The shifters will go last, I think. One day, they’ll wake up and find that they can’t transform anymore. Maybe one will be first – the Jaw, maybe, and the rest will follow with time...”

He leaned his head on Eren’s shoulder, content to be there watching the stars above the endless ocean with him.

“Hahah… How often haven’t I thought about how wonderful it would be if that father of yours had never turned you into a titan. You wouldn’t have to think about any of this.”

“Sometimes, I’ve thought so too… But we would never, never have gotten here if not for him. And we would never be able to pull off your escape plan, either.”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t…”

Armin felt himself growing tired, and Eren understood what the increased weight on his shoulder meant. They stood there for a while, and then went back down.

* * *

**From the burnt and unread journal of Grisha Yeager, page 68**

… _I understand now why the nobles_ _placed_ _the Founder under such tight constraints. The Founder is not of this Earth._ _The people who inherit it become part human, part Other. My dreams are plagued by visions. I found the notes of one of its previous holders, in the early days of Paradis._ _She wrote that it was a gift from the gods, something precious beyond belief. I can’t help but wonder what kinds of scenes took place in the high court of Eldia centuries ago, when the Founder’s use went unchecked._ _May the gods help us all_ _…_

* * *

The rendezvous-point was a ring of redwood trees on a hill a couple miles away from the new Marleyan capital. The hill as a whole was considered sacred, and the securing and clearing of titans from the area 30 years ago had boosted morale considerably. The boat had laid anchor in the bay not far from it, and they would traverse the last distance on foot.

“So, Eren… This is it. This is where the future of humanity will be decided. One way or another, it will all end here.”

“Yeah, it will. No matter what, the age of the titans will end here. I will make sure of that.”

Armin squeezed Eren’s hand, and the Survey Corps began their final, and most important, journey into uncharted territory. They brandished their rifles on their backs and walked through the low grass that covered the hill, the hill that had seen so many people come and go throughout the decades, centuries, millennia.

Armin caught a glance of something as he turned to look at Eren’s face – he was going to ask him something, but he forgot what it was. He wasn’t sure if he had seen it or if his eyes were just playing a trick on him. It was only there for a second, anyway.

A slight glow perhaps, like if someone was holding a lantern behind his irises.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are highly appreciated, as always.


End file.
